Our Founder
Marva G. Ballard
Marva Ballard, who grew up in Akron, Ohio, originally studied psychology, sociology, education and fine art at the University of Akron. However, it was years later that she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Fashion Merchandising and went on to earn an M.S. in Education, both from Tuskegee University (TU).
She moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1980 where she opened a custom design salon designing under the label – M.G. Ballard Designs. In 1984, she began specializing in hand-painted and leather wearable art apparel and was nominated for the More Fashion Awards in N.Y., sponsored by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. That same year, she designed costumes for the Colts cheerleaders for their first season in Indianapolis.
Marva moved to Tuskegee, AL in 1987 to take a position with Tuskegee University in their Clothing and Related Arts program. She served as an industry liaison with the program - bringing resources and guidance from the fashion industry, and transitioning the program to Fashion Merchandising with a new curriculum. She then became an instructor with the program and eventually served as program coordinator. She was awarded both an Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching and an Outstanding Faculty Award for Service from the University in 1994 and 95 respectively.
In 1998, she returned to her passion full time, designing apparel and home accessories, as well as original, mixed-media wall hangings. Her work is owned by many celebrities and professional women and men across the country and has been featured in several magazines and newspapers over the years.
She relocated to Memphis in 2005 where she worked as the Creative Director for an ABC affiliate lifestyle television show called "Wednesdays with Yvette George." She was responsible for the wardrobe, designing the graphics for the production, and also served as producer on several of the segments. The show aired for five years.
In 2007, she started operations with Women of Style, Spirit and Success, a non-profit she founded in 2003 while still in Alabama. The organization's mission was to help women use technology in their entrepreneurial pursuits. The focus was on helping single mothers start small businesses to gain financial self-sufficiency.
Having always had a dual career in fashion and education, Marva joined the faculty of University of Phoenix in 2009 where she facilitated courses online for the College of Information Systems and Technology and for the College of Humanities on the ground campus in Memphis for eight years.
Also, in 2009 she founded The Stitch Institute which operates programs to train aspiring designers and Fashioning Their Future a youth program of The Stitch Institute that uses fashion related lessons and projects to help students gain hands-on experience in S.T.E.A.M.
